Clothing shops oftentimes display mannequins in storefront windows and on the merchandise floor to model suggested clothing ensembles and to entice potential customers into the shop. The oldest and most common type of mannequin is molded from plaster in the form of a male or female figure. These plaster mannequins, however, are prone to break if mishandled or jostled, particularly at the mannequin appendages. Moreover, these mannequins are extremely expensive to manufacture and, thus, costly for the shop to acquire and replace, for example, at a cost of $200 to $400.
In the recent past, mannequin-type clothing displays have been designed from a plastic material, typically acrylic, in order to reduce costs associated with plaster mannequins. These plastic mannequins generally comprise a two-dimensional figure cut from a planar sheet of the plastic material in the form of a human figure. Some of these mannequin-type displays include pivotal arms and legs releasably attached to the plastic body form. The plastic body form is often colored to give the mannequin a trendy, abstract appearance. Although these plastic clothing displays are cost-effective ($40 to $60) and have a modernistic appeal, the two-dimensional figures lack a sufficient width dimension, particularly in the shoulder area, to allow clothes to hang properly. As a consequence, the clothes modeled on these display assemblies do not drape or hang well and develop undesirable creases and wrinkles, reducing the attractiveness and appealability of the modeled garment. An additional problem in connection with mannequin-type display assemblies is the provision of a three-dimensional head assembly or form. Again, plaster is well suited, but it is costly and fragile. Two-dimensional forms do not always display head wear to its best advantage. There is a need, therefore, for a relatively inexpensive three-dimensional head form or assembly for mannequins.
The difficulties suggested above are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather are among many which tend to reduce merchant satisfaction with prior mannequin-type display assemblies.
Accordingly, it is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a mannequin-type display assembly which will obviate or minimize difficulties of the type previously described.
It is a specific object of the invention to provide a mannequin-type display assembly which displays clothing in an aesthetically pleasing arrangement, without causing undesirable creases or wrinkles in the clothing.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a mannequin-type display assembly which resists breakage, particularly at the shoulder area, and is durable and nonflammable.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a mannequin-type display assembly which provides a unisex body figure for modeling men or women's clothing apparel.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a mannequin-type display assembly which is lightweight, is easy to mount to and dismount from clothing stands, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.